FCC Puts a Leash on Broadband Providers

The FCC’s decision is a potential blow to broadband companies

Few people can get through the day without using the internet. Whether you’re checking your email or sending documents to a work colleague, you probably need the web to get things done. In fact, a staggering 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created online every single day.

With every page view and click of the mouse, internet users leave behind a data trail that can potentially provide police and other law enforcement agencies with a goldmine of information. Understandably, this has raised serious concerns about privacy.

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sided with proponents of privacy rights by severely curtailing the types of information broadband providers can collect.

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FCC Says No to Broadband Data Collection

In a 3-to-2 vote, the FCC approved new rules that will stop broadband providers like Comcast and AT&T from gathering and disseminating internet users’ information. The new regulations prohibit internet service providers from gathering information about the sites users visit, as well as apps they use. The new rules also stop broadband companies from giving out data related to users’ financial information.

Perhaps the most surprising news to come out of the story is that, prior to the FCC’s decision, there were no restrictions whatsoever on the types of data high-speed internet providers can harvest.

The FCC’s decision is a potential blow to broadband companies, which have a long history of selling users’ information to advertisers for purposes of creating targeted ads. Browse social media sites like Facebook, and you may wonder why you are suddenly bombarded with ads for camping equipment—especially when you just ran a search for camping equipment the day before. Without your browsing history and page view information in hand, broadband providers may no longer be able to create the same types of targeted ads—or to create them as easily as they once did.

However, the new regulations are not all-encompassing. Because the FCC does not have the authority to regulate web companies, the new rule does not apply to companies like Google and Facebook.

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If you have been charged with a computer crime or any type of federal crime, you deserve exceptional criminal defense. The lawyers at Broden & Mickelsen are Board Certified in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Get your free case evaluation from a Dallas computer crime criminal defense lawyer today by calling 214-720-9552.